The invention relates to means for marking objects, a method for making these means and devices for the reading of these marks.
This marking is more particularly intended to enable the localizing of marks on valuable objects and the identification of these valuable objects.
Different types of valuable objects may be marked with a view to their identification. These valuable objects are, for example:
art objects such as statues, paintings, ceramics and jewellery;
industrially-manufactured goods such as television sets, video tape-recorders, automobiles, etc.
A marking of this type must have a certain number of characteristics. The marks should be indelible and unfalsifiable. Erasing of a mark should not cause visible deterioration of the object. The marks should be easily readable by a reading means. Preferably, the reading means should be portable and capable of being automated. The marks should be detailed enough to enable identification, difficult for a non-specialist to locate and capable of low cost fabrication.
Some of these qualities are not necessarily compatible with one another. At present, there exist marking systems such as those using fluorescent inks. These systems are difficult to read and can be falsified.
An object of the invention is to enable the marking of an object that combines the necessary qualities: easy reading, unfalsifiability, difficulty of erasure without destruction of the object.